GUYANA’S Chief Medical Officer, Dr Shamdeo Persaud, is urging Guyanese not to be susceptible to false information regarding the deadly coronavirus (COVID-19).

During his appearance on the National Communications Network’s COVID-19 Conversations, Dr. Persaud said Guyanese should only use reputable sources for information on the virus.

His statement comes at a time when Guyana’s total number of infected persons continue to rise during the pandemic. Globally, there are more than 1.7M recorded cases of COVID-19 with a death toll of approximately 107,000. Locally, there are 45 confirmed cases inclusive of six deaths.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the infectious disease spreads primarily through droplets of saliva or discharge from the nose when an infected person coughs or sneezes. In an effort to prevent and slow down transmission, persons are being urged to constantly wash their hands or use an alcohol- based rub frequently. Masks are also recommended.

The CMO said in this digital age, it is easy for persons to misdiagnose themselves following instructions on the internet.

“Don’t just google and follow whatever directions come up first,” he cautioned as he urged persons to utilise the services of reputable sources. “We would really like people to get reputable advice from trusted sources,” he posited. These reputable sources include the World Health Organisation, the Pan American Health Organisation, the Centre for Disease Control and the Ministry of Public Health.

Dr. Persaud said that, as part of the efforts to make information easily accessible for citizens, the Ministry of Public Health has several operational hotline numbers that members of the public can call to access information.

“We have been publishing numbers quite a lot, not only the health EOC and the emergency numbers here in Georgetown. All of the regions now have established phone lines which you can call,” he explained.

These numbers can be found on the Ministry of Public Health’s official website and social media pages. A call was also made for persons to seek information online using trusted sites such as the Ministry’s website and the World Health Organisation.

In addition to this, Dr. Persaud suggested that persons can seek the help of relatives who operate within the Health Sector, explaining that these persons may be able to guide individuals to reputable and trusted information.

Persons are advised to call the emergency hotline number if they suspect they are experiencing a symptom of COVID-19 and seek assistance. Symptoms of the novel coronavirus include fatigue, fever, coughing and in severe cases, respiratory problems.